Elevator.



I.' B. RITTER.

ELBVATOR.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

Patented July 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ol i Inventor:

,Isaac E Ziz'ter COLUMBIA PLANDnR/wn C0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

1.11. RITTER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1907.

1,066,052, Patented July 1, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG/,5,

Ow, QW fmcj. Bitter I Wien/? Vio ISAAC B. RITTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1913.

Application filed September 7, 1907. Serial No. 391,764.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Isaac B. RITTER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to improvements in elevators and the object of my invention is to support the elevator car in such a manner that the car cannot fall in case the supporting means should` break.

A further object of my invention is to support the counter-balance weight for the car in a manner similar to that used for supporting the car.

My invention comprises in its construction; endless flexible `members located at either side of the elevator shaft, for supporting the car and counter-balance-weights and a casing inclosing said flexible members. The said flexible member is formed of links and the saidcasing is adapted to hold said links in an erect position in case of accident and to support the car and counter-balance weights, as more fully hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1. is a vertical section of an elevator shaft taken on line 1-1 Fig. 2; Fig. 2. is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1; Fig. 3. is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 Fig. 1; and, Fig. 4. is a perspective view of a portion of the casing for the flexible member.

In the drawings 1 indicates the walls of the elevator shaft. At the top of the elevator shaft are girders 2 for supporting the shaft 3 carrying sheaves 4 and 5, in the form of sprocket-wheels.. The endless flexible members 6 and 7 pass over the said sheaves 4 and 5 respectively. Housings 8 and 9 are provided to completely incase said sheaves 4 and 5 and hold the links of the flexible members in mesh with the teeth upon said sheaves. Said flexible members are located adjacent the walls of the elevator shaft so that the cark 10 may be supported between them. The flexible members 6 and 7 each consists of links 12, which links are pivotally connected together so that the flexible members will readily travel around' the sheaves.

At the bottom of the elevator shaft is located the sprocket-wheel 13, mounted on the shaft 14, for drivingthe flexible member 6.

vided for supporting the counter-balance weights 25. The said cross-pieces 22 and 23 are secured to long links 26 and 27 pivotally `connected with the links of the, flexible members 6 and 7. The said cross-pieces 22 and 23 are made of two plates, 28 and 29 so `that they may be inserted through apertures `formed in the long links 26 and 27 and secured together by bolts 30. The heads 31 1 on said cross-plates are provided to prevent `the long links of the flexible members from spreading. The cross-pieces 24 carrying the counter-balance weights 25 are also 'secured to long links 32, forming part of the flexible members 6 and 7. Said cross-pieces 24 consist of two plates 33 and 34, ecured together by bolts 35, as shown in iig. 3.

The car is supported upon the cross-piece 22 by means of links 36 and 37, pivotally connected, so that any irregularity in the position of the cross-piece 22 will not throw the car out of its vertical position. The lower cross-piece 23 extends through elongated openings 38 in the depending brackets 39 and 40, carried by the car, to prevent the latter from swinging.

A casing or guide 42, as shown in detail in Fig. 4; is provided to incase each of the flexible members 6 and 7 rihe said casing is provided with flanges 'Ll-4, by which it is secured to the wall of the elevator shaft and said casing is provided with a slot 43, in the face of the same, for the passage of the cross-pieces 22 and 23 carrying the car and the cross-pieces 24 carrying the counter-balance weights. The said slot 43 formed in the casing 42 is not of suiiicient width to allow the flexible member to get out of the casing. The interior dimensions of the casing 42 is slightly larger than that of the flexible member, so that the flexible member when drawn tight will freely run through the y casing. But the casing lits closely enough to hold the links of the flexible member in an upright position, in case the flexible member should break, which will prevent the car from falling as the flexible member cannot get out of the casing. The flexible members 6 and 7 are confined throughout the entire length of the same by the casings 42, the housings 8 and 9 surrounding` the sheaves at the top of the elevator shaft and by the housings 55` and 56 surrounding the sprocket wheels 13 and 15 at the bottom of the elevator shaft. It is therefore impossible for the flexible members to get out of their proper positions at any point.

The shaft 14 cari'ying the sheave or sprocket-Wheel 13, at the bottom of the elevator shaft, is mounted on a platform 50, pivoted on the shaft 51, so that in case the flexible member should break the outer end of the platform carrying the sprocket-Wheel will fall and cause the brake-wheel 52 on the shaft 18 to contact with the stationary block 53, which will stop the motor and prevent the said sprocket-Wheel from turning. The shaft 16 carrying the sprocket Wheel 15 is acted upon by a separate brake Wheel in a manner similar to that shown for acting upon the shaft 14. The sprocket-wheels 13 and 15 are each mounted upon a separate platform 50 and 54, so that if either the flexible member G or 7 should break either of the platforms may fall and apply the brake.

The sprocket-Wheels 13 and 15 are inclosed in housings 55 and 56 which completelyl incase the same and also the flexible members which pass through apertures 58 formed in the top of the housings. Said apertures are located so as to aline with the ends of the casings 42, secured to the Walls of t-he elevator shaft. The said housings 55 and 56 are each secured to the pivoted platforms 5() and 54 respectively and move with said platforms in case either of the flexible members should break. Adjustable stops 57 mounted upon posts 59 are provided to prevent the outer ends of the pivoted platforms from rising too far.

When the platform falls the brake wheel 52 Will contact with the block 53, which will retard the speed of the motor and prevent the flexible member running through the housing. As the platforms have but a very slight movement there will not be sulficient space between the housings and the end of the casings 42 to permit the flexible members to get out of the casings.

It will be readily seen by my improved mea-ns for supporting the elevator car and counter-balance weights that neither the car nor the Weights can possibly fall even though both flexible members should break, as the flexible members will be conned within the casings and be held in an upright position. 1f the flexible members should break above the car, the section of the flexible members below the car will have to lift the counter-balance weights, which would prevent the flexible members from running through the casings, even though the brake mechanism at the bottom of the elevator shaft should fail to hold the driving shaft from turning. The car will be prevented from rising by the .action of the counter-balance weights, in,

case the flexible members should break below the car, because the countenbalance weights will rest upon the flexible members, which Will prevent them from moving.

By constructing the elevator in the above described manner, the car will be properly counter-balanced at all points throughout the entire distance of its travel. If the flexible members were to be disconnected at any point and if there were not sufficient friction to prevent the flexible members from moving through the casings, the car and the counter-balance-weight will move into a position in which one will counterbalance the other and they will then come to rest.

The friction of the loose flexible mein-y bers in the casings will make it impossible to move the parts, and the brake at the bottom of the shaft is provided Vas an additional means of safety. It will be understood that either of the flexible members will have sufficient strength to support the car should the opposite flexible member break.

Having thus described my invention I u claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an elevator, the combination of a car, a counter-balance-weight, endless flexible members located at either side of said car and said counter-balance-vveight, crosspieces each consisting of two plates having one end of each connected with said flexible members, and means for securing said plates A c member, a casing inclosing said flexible member and a housing inclosing said sprocket-wheel which is supported by said flexible member.

3. In an elevator, the combination of a car,a flexible member, sheaves around which said flexible member passes, a housing incasing the upper sheave, a casing inclosing said flexible member, a housing incasing the lower sheave, a` platform on Whichsaid Y lower sheave is mounted, said platform adapted to be supported by said flexible member, and a brake adapted to be actuated when said platform is lowered.

` 4. In an elevator, the combination of a o car, a flexible member, upper and lower sheaves, a housing incasing said upper sheave, a casing secured to the wall ofthe said brake wheel contacts when the flexible elevator shaft adapted to nolose said leX- member allows said platform to drop. 10 ble member, a housing ncasng said lower In testimony whereof I afHX my signature shezwe, a pvoted platform on which said in presence of two witnesses.

lower sheave s mounted, said latter housing ISAAC B. RITTER. secured to said platform, a shaft connected l/Vtnesses:

with said lower sheave, a brake wheel upon JOHN F. BASFORD,

said shaft and a. Xed block againstwhoh M. R. CLEELLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

